Hollywood fighter steps up tonight

The Hollywood junior-middleweight grew up in the Metro-Dade Boxing program and was trained by former cruiserweight champion Robert Daniels.

Daniels, a lay minister, works with inner-city kids at the Mickey Demas Gym at Tropical Park Stadium. Smith, a Carol City High graduate, started boxing at 13.

"I had a good start in boxing, I learned a lot from him," said Smith, who turned pro March 31, 2006, and has enjoyed a meteoric rise in his weight class. "I stay in touch with him a lot. He was my mentor. He is the reason I am where I am today.

"I had a pretty good amateur career winning the 2005 Florida Golden Gloves and went to national tournaments. The goal was always to turn pro. I want to do even better in the pros. The key is staying busy in the ring, step up and get a shot at the belt."

Smith (11-1, 7 KOs) has won his past six fights, including two in May, and will fight Juan Camilo Novoa of Miami (13-1, 11 KOs) in one of two bouts scheduled to be televised tonight on ESPN2 from War Memorial Auditorium. It's one of seven bouts scheduled.

Smith, 21, signed with Hollywood's Don Herron, a longtime fight fan who once traded racehorses and greyhounds.

"He has a great work ethic and trains hard," Herron said. "Every fight is a big fight for him. He just takes them one at a time. I hope he goes all the way."

In the main event, undefeated Colombian Breidis Prescott (18-0, 17 KOs) makes his U.S. debut against former Cuban national champion Richard Abril of Miami (10-0-1, 5 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight non-title fight. Abril took the fight on a week's notice after veteran Juan Rodriguez (56-21-2) of Fort Lauderdale dropped out.

Prescott, a former member of the Colombian national team who was eliminated in the pre-Olympic qualifying, had more than 180 amateur bouts before turning pro.